Written by Krystiana Cornella

Ebooks offer some unique opportunities for promotion that print books otherwise couldn't. The ability to discount your book at will and distribute your story far and wide has given rise to sites that connect authors and readers. If you are hoping to gain some additional reach and maximize the times when your book is available at a discounted rate (or free), these sites can connect you to hundreds of thousands of eager readers.

For more ways on how to promote your ebook, make sure you also check out our $10 webinar on the subject!

FreeBooksy

FreeBooksy wants to make it quick and easy for users to find great reads. It is a book promotion site for free ebooks that attracts new readers for your book. They cover a variety of genres such as romance, thriller, science-fiction, cookbooks and even “cozy mystery.”

Each promotion includes:

1. A post on the Freebooksy homepage that includes your book cover and description.

2. Placement of your book in an email to readers who are interested in your genre.

3. Promotion on their Facebook page which has over 245,00 followers.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Free.

2. Over 50 pages.

3. Written in English.

4. Your book cannot be in the pre-order stage.

Price: $30-$200. Pricing is based on the genre of your book, for more information check out their page.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Kindle Book Promotions

Kindle Book Promotions is committed to the promotion of your ebook. It helps your book become an Amazon Best Seller.

How it works:

1. You submit your ebook on their website.

2. They match your book to a target audience based on your book genre. The audience is selected based on their purchase history, preferred genres, reviews and comments on Amazon.

3. This audience, a large pool of readers, will read and promote your book.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1) Available on Amazon Kindle.

2) At least 50 pages in length and children's books must be at least 20 pages. They review novellas and short stories on a case-by-case basis.

3) Well-formatted and with few typo errors.

Price: Kindle Book recommends that you price your book at $2.99 on their site to earn both maximum royalties, and attract impulse buyers. It is a paid service, here is a chart of the different pricing options.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

ManyBooks

ManyBooks is a free online service for ebooks from modern books to classics. They have featured over 15,000 authors with a variety of services for both traditional and self-published author.

These services include:

1. A promotion of your discounted or free ebook in their daily newsletter that goes out to 175,000 subscribers. ($29)

2. The ability to publish your book on their site where people can download it. ($39)

3. Reviews from users for your Amazon, B&N and other online retailer promotion. ($99)

4. A professional review in their blog and weekly newsletter. ($99)

For further pricing details check out their site.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

BookBub

BookBub is a lead influencer of ebook bestseller lists because they have millions of email subscribers.

How it works:

1. You submit a title for consideration.

2. They review your submission.

3. If accepted, you coordinate the discount with your retailers.

4. BookBub prepares the promotion. Their editing team writes a blurb for your book and their production team assembles all creative aspects for you.

5. The morning of your promotion they feature your book on their website and in their daily email.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. A full-length book. Novels, collections of short stories, or novellas should be at least 150 pages in length, works of nonfiction at least 100 pages and cookbooks at least 70 pages.

2. Free or discounted by at least 50%.

3. The best deal available. They don’t consider a book if it has been offered for a better price in the last 90 days, or if it will be offered for less in the near future.

4. A limited-time offer. They do consider permanently free books, but they don’t feature low-price offers that are always available.

5. Widely available. They only feature deals that are available on at least one major retailer in the US or the UK.

For further insight on how to make your book as competitive as possible for BookBub’s selection process, check out their submission tips.  Or check out our BookBub webinar detailing insider tips and tricks for how you can best use the platform.

Price: Because it provides vast exposure, it has a higher price point and editorial threshold.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

For further insight on how to make your book as competitive as possible for BookBub’s selection process, check out their submission tips.  

Bargain Booksy

If you are thinking of discounting your book to increase sales, or if your book is already priced between $0.99-$5, you can make your book appealing to readers on Bargain Booksy. With over 294,000 registered users, the organization helps you find an audience of readers, generate reviews, and boost your book rankings on retailer sites.

How it works:

1. They send your book to Kindle readers who have expressed an interest in your genre.

2. Your book will be front and center on BargainBooksy.com. They link to your book on Kindle, Kobo, Apple, and Nook.

3. Your book will be featured in a post with other books in your genre.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Between $0.99 and $5.

2. Available on Kindle.

3. Well-written and well-formatted.

4. They prefer books with Amazon reviews and professionally designed covers.

Price: $25-$160. Pricing is based on the genre of your book.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Red Feather Romance

Red Feather Romance is for enticing romance novels. First, your book needs to be 50 pages and approved by Red Feather’s editorial review. If approved, your book is promoted to over 120,000 avid readers via email.

Price: There are two different pricing options to promote your book based on whether you promote your book for free or for above $0.99.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

The Fussy Librarian

The Fussy Librarian promotes ebooks from a variety of genres through their email newsletter. They have two different promotion options, a bargain book newsletter (if your ebook is sold for $5.99 or less the day of the promotion), or a free book newsletter both of which goes out to over 130,000 subscribers.

Price: The price of your book promotion ranges based on genre and whether your book is totally free or on sale.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

BookRunes

BookRunes is a way for you to promote your free or bargain ebook on kindle. Your book is promoted via the BookRunes email that has over 100,00 readers. The organization has a global reach to the U.S., the UK, Australia, India, and Canada. You must promote your book for free, or for $2.99 or less.

Price: The site offers an affordable price range, with a promotional cost between $25-$35 based on your genre.  

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

NewInBooks

NewInBooks exclusively promotes new releases. The first 90 days after your book is released is an important time for its promotion. As you rack up sales during this time, Amazon learns which users like your book and then recommends your book to the right audience. Among other promotions such as placement of your book in the weekly newsletter and social channels, NewInBooks’s promo stack connects you with a book promotion specialist who walks you through the book launch process.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Released within the past 120 days.

Price: $299-$499

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

One Hundred Free Books

One Hundred Free Books is a source of free and discounted books for Kindle readers. The site has an always-evolving collection of material across all genres, with a focus on boosting author downloads. An author promotion includes a book listing in the featured books section of their website, in their daily email and on their social media.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Permafree, free for a limited time, or being offered on Amazon at a deep discount from the normal cover price

Price: $75-$100

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Free Kindle Books

This blog provides a mixture of free, “exclusive” and discounted ebook offers and overall Kindle tips to keep blog reader interaction at a high level. The audience demographic of these blog subscribers are primarily females in the U.S. between 35-55 years old.

Most books will be accepted for promotion including new releases, according to the editor. Here is more information on how books are chosen editorially to be promoted with Free Kindle Books, and for pricing options.

BookGorilla

BookGorilla is all about delivering quality books to the right audience segment within their subscription base. They send out one daily email to subscribers. These subscribers have taken the time to identify in detail what their book preferences are.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Priced either free or below $3.99. They recommend that you provide exact information about the promotional price, the “everyday” price, and the specific date on which your deal will be available.

2. If your book has less than a 4-star rating or fewer than 5 reviews on its U.S. Kindle store page, you should expect it to be rejected unless it is a brand new release by an author with a past track record of highly rated books; it has positive unpaid reviews, or they read the book and tell you it is approved.

3. Ideally full-length.

Price: The majority of promotions cost between $40-$50.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Book Cave

Book Cave is on a mission to make sure their subscribers are comfortable and satisfied with the books they read. They have two ways to help you find new readers as an author by promoting to subscribers of their brand.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Free of grammatical and spelling errors.

2. Reviewed by at least 10 - 20 reviewers, and 5 reviews if you have a new release.

3. Discounted at least 50%, and they prefer books that have had no price changes within the past 40 days or longer.

4. At least 160 pages with no block formatting for adult fiction. They sometimes consider less than 160 as novellas. They prefer 250-500 pages.

5. At least 100 pages for nonfiction.

6. Poetry or books with erotic covers are not accepted.

Price: Prices are affordable and based on your genre and ebook listing price.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Read Cheaply

ReadCheaply is for authors seeking to reach new readers with limited-time ebook deals. Their daily emails target over 70K subscribers across 23 genres. Their editorial staff searches for top-quality content from authors to deliver to their readers who are eager to discover new books and authors.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. High quality. They are looking for full-length books with good reviews, high-quality cover design, and professional formatting.

2. A good bargain. Your book should be free or discounted by at least 50%. Your book must not have been offered for a better price in the last 90 days, and must be a limited-time offer.

3. Enticing summary. They are looking for a short description that you provide when submitting your book that is captivating, well-written, and error free.

4. Widely available. They only feature deals that are available on major ebook retailers in the US. At a minimum your book must be available on Amazon, and they recommend as many retailers as possible.

Price: $25-100, based on the genre of your content.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Just Kindle Books

Just Kindle Books is where readers find free and bargained Kindle books. When you run a premium promotion your book is featured on three sites and three newsletters (JustKindleBooks, eReaderNation and BookSliced). You can track how many clicks your promotion drives to your Amazon detail page. Their top performing genres are romance, mystery/thriller, erotic romance, paranormal fiction, women’s fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, cooking and self-help.

Requirements to promote with them:

1. They accept any genre, but they do not recommend their site for technical books, computer programming books, text books, social studies, economics, art, graphic novels, education, history, law, science, political science, sports, reference or travel.

Price: Package options range from Amazon Follower Boost to Premium Book Promotion Plus, from $5-$43.

Publisher: Indie

EReader News Today

Ereader News Today (ENT) delivers highly-rated free and bargain ebook deals via emails tailored to a subscriber’s preference. Many of these ebooks are from New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. They are the longest running daily ebook newsletter in the industry, and thus they have formed relationships with thousands of authors.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Google Play, Apple iTunes or Kobo.

2. Free or on sale.

3. A full-length book (125 pages).

4. Not promoted on ENT in the last 90 days.

5. It cannot be erotica, controversial or offensive.

Price: Ranges from $35-$140. The pricing for your promotion depends on your book cost, further details here.

Publisher: They accept both indie and traditional books.

Book Barbarian

Book Barbarian is exclusive for sci-fi and fantasy authors. If your book is selected for promotion it will be listed in a daily email, featured on their website, and posted to all of their social media platforms on the day you are selected. They have two different types of promotions you can learn about here.

Requirements to promote with them:

Your book must be . . .

1. Science-fiction or fantasy genres only.

2. Stand-alone or the first book in a series.

3. Free or discounted by 50% or more.

4. A limited-time offer. This makes the deal special and time sensitive.

5. A professionally produced novel -- a great cover, and error free text, well-formatted and proficiently edited.

6. Highly-rated (an average star rating of 3.5 or better) with at least ten reviews on Amazon.com. If your book is a new release, they will consider it if you have a previously published book with more than 50 reviews from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

7. Widely available. Your book needs to be available on at least one major retailer.

Price: $35-$55, depends on the price of your book and the promotion type you choose.

Publisher: They accept self-published, indie and traditional books.

Book Adrenaline

Book Adrenaline is the sister site to Book Barbarian that promotes thrillers and mysteries.

Requirements to promote with them:

The requirements are the same as Book Bargain above except your book must be . . .

1. A thriller, mystery or within the larger subcategories of Suspense and Crime Fiction.

Price: $15-$25, depends on the price of your book and the promotion type you choose.

Publisher: They accept self-published, indie and traditional books.